Rotary atomizer and gas mixer



Oct. 1, 1935. J. D. Ross ROTARY ATOMIZER AND GAS MIXER Original Filed March 19, '1951 flu/altar JoluzBBoss Patented Oct. 1, 1935 PATENT OFFICE ROTARY ATOMI ZER AND GAS MIXER John D. Ross, Brewer, Maine Application March 19, 1931, Serial No. 523,689 Renewed August 1, 1934 Claims.

This invention relates to a rotary atomizer and gas mixer adapted for installation between the outlet pipe of the carburetor and the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine for I 5.; the purpose of completelyatomizing the explosive charge delivered from the carburetor to the end that said charge may be delivered to the cylinders of the engine in a form best suited for instant combustion.

1061 Heretofore such fuel atomizing devices with which I am familiar have all operated upon the principle of mechanically agitating the combustible'charge delivered by the carburetor. One characteristic feature of my invention is that 15311 provide for admitting into the stream of the charge a supply of atomizing oxygen the function of which is tomore finely break up the charge delivered from the carburetor. This supply of atomizing oxygen is controlled by and in 20. the movement of the actuating means for the throttle valve of the carburetor and hence its delivery into the stream of the charge is regulated automatically according to the speed of the engme. I r

25 Other features of my invention will appear more particularly hereinafter. r I

As illustrative of the principles involved I show in the accompanying drawing a device which I have found satisfactory under actual service con- 30r ditions and well adapted to the requirements of manufacture.

In the drawing:- p

Fig. '1 is a fragmentary side elevation at the intake side of an internal combustion engine 35 1 equipped with a rotary atomizer and gas mixer in accordance with my invention, the throttle valve of the carburetor being shown as retarded for idling. j p

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. .1 but showing the throttle valve advanced for speed.

Figs. 3 is a view of my rotary atomizer and gas mixer removed and indicating in dotted lines an optional connection whereby a supercharging medium under pressure may be admitted into the mixture stream.

Fig. 4 is a top plan View of my rotary atomizer and gas mixer removed.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Figs. 6 and '7 are sections on the lines 6-6 50 of Fig. 4 and 'l-] of Fig. 5, respectively, and

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the bladed rotors of my unit removed. 1 .Referring to Fig. '1, I have indicated generally at I the carburetor of an internal combustion engine of conventional type and at 2 the outlet pipe thereof from which the combustible charge is delivered into the intake manifold 3 of the engine.

Mounted in any desired location intermediate of the carburetor and intake manifold and pref- 5 erably at the meeting ends of the carburetor outlet. pipe 2 and manifold pipe 3 is my novel vaporizing and atomizing unit. Such unit is assembled in the relation shown by means of the usual studs 3 which unite the pipes 2 and 3 10 and comprises a generally cylindrical casing consisting of an upper casing forming member 4 and a bottom casing forming member 5. When assembled together as shown in Figs. 3, 6, and

7 the members 4 and 5 define a generally spheri cal chamber 6 which'is open at either end so as to permit the explosive charge from the pipe 2 V to pass freely therethrough into the pipe 3.

As contemplated herein, each of the casing members is internally formed as a dished surface I so that when the casing members 4 and 5 are assembled together the resultant chamber 6 is a chamber of greater diameter than the diameter of the pipe2 and hence affords a reservoir for a reserve supply of mixture of combustible charge for emergency demand.

The members 4 and 5 may be fastened to each other in any desired manner. As here shown, each member is provided with a circumferential flange 8 adapted to abut the similar flange of the opposite member and fastened at such meeting flanges in any suitable manner as by the screws 9.

During its passage through the chamber 6 the mixture is subjected to the vaporizing and atomizing action of one or more bladed rotors mounted within said chamber in the longitudinal axis thereof. As here shown I provide two superposed rotors, viz., a lower rotor l0 and'an upper rotor II spaced from each other and from the respec- 40 tive ends of the chamber 6.

The rotors l0 and H are assembled upon a stationary shaft I2 which is reduced at its ends and stepped in suitable bearings I3 and M at the ends of the respective casing forming members. The bearings l3 and I 4 maybe constituted by webs of material left when the upper and lower open ends of the casing forming members were formed whereby to provide for the free passage of the explosive charge through the chamber.

The rotors IE) and H are spaced from each other and from the bearing webs l3 and M by three spacing collars I5 which are assembled on the shaft l2 as best shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The purpose of spacing the rotors from each ete. U et he upper rot r i a somewh t greater the mixture.

other and from the ends of the casing is to eliminate any whistling or singing effect of the rotors in action and also to avoid any danger of choking the passage of the mixture through the casing and thus causing a hitching or retarding of the engine (not shown). In this connection it is to be noted that the under face of the web H! is beveled as indicated at E6 in Fig. 5 whereby to split the incoming charge from the carburetor. The blades of the individual rotors are of angular cross-section presenting a generally vertical face H. or I? disposed substantially the axis of rotation of the rotors and an inclined face M or 3 inclined to such axis the knife edges of the blades of each rotor being disposed downwardly whereby most efiectively to compel the rotors to be revolved under the action of the explosive charge being drawn thorepast by the suction of the engine. It will be noted, however, that the vertical face of the blades of the Lilly-911m?! 3"? 5%?? th. re e teh t the wi ePeh. i..-. hi he. e ee et he upse or.- The purpose of this is to compel the rotors to re- 9l 5! PRPPQP? eireetieh h ih ie e by h 95 F 3.: V the ihehhee fat s ef t b ade eempel the E'QPQ'PJ Q 9? it Q 1 21.??? Pe end ri he bla es se e brea r e eeee r' the Phra e. 9? thetehehl eteh hhe th xplosiv e etse he. eiet heh hed reht p r a t e s h u hthef ledee a e set ebl e e o e i cti h e22 tre e 9 th hix h e d s m l eet as ehtt he e es. rather then br a id m n thri e ee h het a e c of the e t tev httheryete l hh r th pr u f t e ezs SLY? theme Wi h eehlteht e r h t e h ehh e 9 the. re o t; h m ee etr e i h h ehhel heet he witheet upl t hen e eheihe is. r hh hs a s eed.

.ehele i ehhetie ef h mehhe e e elethen tha at th ow re er blades Wh ey. the up er .re er etet e t higher s eed hem the. letter reteh The u pose h e st uetieh tei elhe the a emtrati h .et

er er comp et l t reak up he ex losi theree thei h eer u e er I pr vide e h admission o e steely e etemi iheex eh into th e ehh ihe ehehih r ee e ih to h eed i the en ine her th s pur ose we i th eee he term tes m mber referabl the e er het r. is cored to provide an oxygen admission passage it. e iverin hh eht ell t n ent all a a n e ahehle fat f, h e e reter e d rom ueh ret be he ef e t d a n i ed by th errewe .3 t e 8 agai st the eheul r eeee i 9 th u pe reto The admission of such atomizing oxygen into he ehe hh r. is eehtrelled b a a e lever 2% adapted to be operated by the same operating means which operated the throttle valve 2i of the carburetor. The valve lever 26 is pivoted between s e a a 2 xter er v of t et ee 'hs rmin mem rwith its w r d at math leeine the Pete-a e "L, a nd h he. yieldingly urged towards such closed position by a spring Z3. As here shown such spring is a coil spring confined between the rear end of the valve leve'r'2ii and the adjacent wall portion of the aeihe; 5.5

The valve lever Zfiis a cam lever, and is acto ated by engagement by the rotor arm 24 for the throttle valve 2|. Sucharm 2% is fixed as at 2.5 tethe h ot l lve hdie ehe te tre the dash through any suitable motion transmitting connections of which the operating rod 26 only has been shown. The action is a sliding action of the arm 24 over the lever 20 and its efiect when the throttle valve is opened as shown in Fig. 2 is to depress the rear end of said lever against the action of the spring 23 thereby raising the forward end of the lever 28 and uncovering the inlet passage W for the admission of the atomizing oxygen into the chamber 5.

When the throttle is retarded as shown in Fig. l, the arm 24 is at the other extreme of the stroke, releasing the lever 20 which under the action of the spring 23 returns to close the passage 19. This action is entirely automatic and eliminates racing the motor when idling. The admission of oxygen through the passage I9 being regulated from thg same operating means which opens and closes the throttle valve of the carburetor such oxygen is admitted into the atomizing chamber in direct proportions to the needsoi the engine at all speeds.

V .A an o on e pmen h a om ma be provided with means whereby a supply of super.- charging medium, as for example, steam or other ee ee ep rs w r re su h y be m ted into the mixture charge whereby to give greater power than the carburetor alone can supply. To this end I indicate at 21 in Figs. 1 and 2 a passage cored into lower casing iorming members and opening into the chamber 6, with which passage asuitable pipe connection as at 28 in Fig. 3 'm ay be made where it. is desired to use the pressure super-charged feature. Obviously the pipe 28 may be utilized for the purpose of adhittin a lubricating fluid as for example oil into the explosive charge whenever needed. When the connection 28 is not in use it is removed and the opening 21 is closed by any suitable plug. or the like.

While particularly intended for use in an in- 40 ternal combustion engine, it will be understood that my invention is'not confined to such use alone, and hence the foregoing discussion is to be taken as purely illustrative and in no way limiting. As will be obvious the inciples of my invention are capable of application to a, wide variety of installations wherever it is desired to vaporize. or atomize any fluid or gas, as for example, in oilenred furnaces, oil burning engines of the Diesel type, and in the blending of certain fluids. I

S mi ar erie s m d heetien n structure a assembly may be resorted to. within the spirit and scope of my invention as defined by the a ed ims.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rotary atomizer adapted to be mounted between the mixture outlet pipe of the carburetor 60 a tak manif ld f n in e a h en n in ehd eem isine a. ca in a pa of bladed rotors mounted in said casing, the blades of which present respectively a surface which is parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotors coaxially and an opposed surface which is inclined with respect to such axis.

2. A rotary atomizer adapted to be mounted betweenthemixture outlet pipe of the carburetor and the intal re manifold of an internal combust eh e in a d, prisin a eat a pa r f bladed rotors mounted in said casing the blades e hich r sent eeee l a r ce w ic i parallel to the axis. of rotation of the rotorsv and e ur ace w i h s helihe i h es ec to uch axis, the inclined surfaces of one set of rotor blades being disposed in angularly intersecting relation to the inclined surfaces of the blades of the other rotor.

3. A rotary atomizer adapted to be mounted between the mixture outlet pipe of the carburetor and the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine and comprising acasing, a pair of bladed rotors mounted in said casing, the blades ofwhich present respectively a surface which is parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotors and a surface which is inclined with respect to such axis, the inclined surfaces of one set of rotor blades being disposed in angularly intersecting relation to the inclined surfaces of the blades of the other rotor and the blades of both rotors all being disposed with their narrow ends extending in the same direction.

4. A rotary atomizer adapted to be mountedbetween the mixture outlet pipe of the carburetor and the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine and comprising a casing, a pair of bladed rotors mounted in said casing, the blades of which present respectively a surface which is parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotors and a surface which is inclined with respect to such axis, the inclined surfaces of oneset of rotor blades being disposed in angularly intersecting relation to the inclined surfaces of the blades of the other rotor and the blades of both rotors all being disposed with their narrow ends extending in the same direction, said casing having an air inlet opening thereinto substantially tangentially to the inclined blade surfaces of one of said rotors, and a valve for said inlet.

5. A rotary atomizer adapted to be mounted between the mixture outlet pipe of the carburetor and the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, comprising a casing, a bladed rotor mounted in said casing, each blade of said rotor having a flat side and an opposed beveled side,

the flat side of one blade facing the beveled'side 20 of the next adjacent blade.

JOHN D. ROSS. 

